‘There’s a Place in Russia Where You Can Definitely HEAR America.’

Have you seen this new commercial for the Dodge Challenger? It debuted in mid-December.

The voiceover from Kevin Yon declares, “There’s a place in America where you can almost see Russia . . . which means there’s a place in Russia where you can definitely HEAR America.” The spot closes with the brand’s tagline “Domestic. Not Domesticated.”

The 30-second ad showcases “how Dodge Challenger enthusiasts can now have the confidence to drive their muscle cars all-year round, no matter the weather conditions. It was shot on location in Alaska, where the Challenger GT was put to the test on snowy, icy and winding roads.”

Does it seem a little… curious that the ad has an “In your face, Russia!” vibe? I don’t mind a bit of pop cultural shorthand that Russians are bad and we enjoy taunting them with the indisputable superiority of American engineering. I just don’t remember this sort of message popping up in commercials before, even during the Cold War. I guess all it took was some hacking of the DNC, and suddenly even car commercials feel the need to emphasize that Russia may be able to hack our servers, but they’ll never catch up with our fearless, adrenaline-filled drivers.